


and Pixie Dust

by Kisaheart



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Comedy, Cursed Storybrooke, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Memories, Mystery, Neverland, Romance, Season/Series 01, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-03-14
Packaged: 2018-03-08 23:49:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3228107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kisaheart/pseuds/Kisaheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter and Felix in Cursed Storybrooke with bonus Neverland flashbacks!  My take on what a season 1 episode with these two would look like!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Three knocks on the door. And then a fourth, and a fifth.

The blonde young man walked across the hardwood floor as a sixth knock came. He twisted the rusted doorknob and pulled.  Scanning the empty air for a long moment, his brows slightly crinkled, when a quiet clear of the throat pulled his gaze downward.

A small brunette boy that couldn't have been older than ten stood on the porch with a pale green backpack. A warm smile lit his soft face making him appear even younger.

"Hi," the boy greeted enthusiastically. "Are you Felix?"

The blonde merely shook his head.

"I'm afraid you have the wrong person," he murmured, stepping back to shut the door.

"Wait!" The boy quickly cut in, placing his hand out.

The blonde pulled the door back open, one eyebrow cocking slightly.

"Let me try that again," the boy insisted, his smile back in place.

He pulled his backpack around and began fishing through it. He finally tugged out a worn, leather book and flipped it open. He thumbed through the pages before finally landing on the one he wanted. He turned the book around and held it up for the older boy to see.

On the right page was a picture of a blonde young man that looked very much like the older male himself gazing into the eyes of another young man clad in green with a soft smirk on his face.

For a very brief second, the young boy could have sworn he saw a flash go through the older male's pale eyes but it was so brief that it was quickly replaced by an emotionless stare once again.

"As I said," the blonde spoke quietly as he straightened back up. "You have the wrong person."

With that, he turned, shutting the door firmly behind him and locking it.


	2. A Work of Fate

The young man strolled through the small village, his hands in his pants' pockets. He wasn't really looking for anything in particular, mainly just wandering.

He passed by several women hanging laundry out on some clothes lines. Nearby was a young boy throwing feed out to some chickens and a man milking a cow. The young man smiled a little to himself. He liked the quiet peacefulness of the village.

A very soft, flute like sound drifted faintly across the breeze. The young man continued to walk along, not even noticing the sound taking him captive. He followed the music's trail, the melody growing increasingly louder with each step until he finally turned a corner down a dirt ally and stopped dead.

A brunette boy only slightly younger than the young man himself sat with his back against the stone building, one leg stretched out in front of him, the other draped across it. He held a wooden pan flute in his hands, his lips barely grazing the ends of the pipes.

The music suddenly stopped, one note hanging softly in the air, as the boy lowered the instrument slightly and turned his head to look up at the intruder. His bright sky-blue eyes were striking even in the dim light of the cloudy day causing the blonde's breath to catch but only for a moment.

One eyebrow slowly arched on the boy's forehead as the two just stared at each other. The young man could tell the brunette was surprised even though his expression gave nothing away.

"Can I help you?" The boy finally asked, tilting his head to the side and studying the other male.

It took the young man a second longer to respond than it should have. The boy's soft face and porcelain skin were unfairly captivating coupled with those piercing blue eyes.

"You play beautifully," the blonde finally spoke, his voice quiet.

The boy's eyebrows rose ever so slightly as he studied the other male.

Years. For years the boy had sat in that exact same spot behind that exact same building and not once had anyone ever found him. This could be nothing but the work of fate.

At least, it would have been if the boy believed in such a thing.

His lips slowly rose into a smile that appeared more like a smirk.

"Why, thank you," the boy said, pushing himself up onto his feet and then brushing off the back of his pants.

He straightened up and smirked more openly at the other male.

"My name is Peter. Peter Pan," he declared, bowing ever so slightly in dramatics before holding his hand out. "And you are?"

"Devlyn," the blonde responded.

"Devlyn," Peter repeated, straightening back up again. His smirk faded for only a brief moment before being quickly put back in place. He slowly walked towards the young man, surveying him.

"Well, that's a rather... unfortunate name," he remarked, beginning to circle around the blonde. "You don't look like a Devlyn."

Peter stopped in front of the young man once he had made it back around and tilted his head again, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration.

The blonde found that he couldn't look away from the other boy's stare.

"I've found the name usually suits me," he finally replied, his lips slightly elevated in a tiny smirk. His fortune had never been very favorable.

Peter suddenly grinned, his nose wrinkling and his eyes light with amusement.

"Not anymore," he declared. "For today you have met me. And there is nothing more fortunate than that."

The clack of wooden wheels on gravel suddenly filled the air. Peter peered around the other male as a horse pulled a cart filled with crates of fruit past the small alleyway. The blonde turned slightly to watch as well, finally freed from the boy's stare.

The cart hit a small bump in the road causing a bright red apple to topple out of one of the crates and hit the dirt. The man walking with the horse didn't take notice though as they trod out of sight.

Peter stared at the object for a long moment before briefly gazing over the blonde male's profile.

He had an appealing face, Peter would give him that. His emotionless gray eyes and the hard line of his lips made it difficult to gage what he was thinking though even when he smiled. Peter always liked a challenge, however. He was thin, almost to the point of being unhealthy, a clear sign of what a difficult life he was leading. He was also quite dirty around the edges but Peter never really cared for cleanliness.

If this young man could hear the music from those pipes, that meant he was alone. Or, at the very least, felt alone.

An idea suddenly occurred to Peter as his gaze drifted back to the apple still lying in the road. A smirk rose to his lips as he casually sauntered past the blonde and over to the piece of fruit. He bent over to retrieve it, straightening back up and then tossing it a few inches up into the air before catching it again. He did this four more times as he surveyed the surrounding area.

Just then his eyes suddenly locked onto what he had been looking for leaning beside a closed door a few yards down the street.

"Say," he began with an innocent expression, turning back to the young man. "How good are you with a bow and arrow?"

The blonde shrugged one shoulder slightly, his expression giving away nothing.

"I'm alright," he allowed.

"Alright enough to shoot this apple off the top of my head?" Peter asked with an almost wicked grin.

And finally there was a hint of emotion in the other male's face. His eyes widened ever so slightly as anxiety began wafting off of him. Peter could tell he didn't like this idea one bit but the young man wasn't arguing. That was a good sign.

Peter casually walked down to where the wooden bow and three arrows were lying beside the doorway. He picked them up and then walked back, handing them to the blonde with a knowing smirk as he caught his eyes. No, he definitely didn't like this idea.

"You're not going to hit me," Peter stated, staring the young man straight in the eyes for a long moment. He turned then, heading across the small gravel road to a tree right on the edge of it. He turned back around to face the young man who hadn't moved an inch and carefully balanced the apple atop his head.

The young man slowly sucked in a deep breath as he pulled out one of the arrows and strung it back on the bow. He aimed for almost half a minute before finally releasing the arrow. It sailed across the road and then into the forest, four feet away from where Peter stood.

The brunette cocked an eyebrow and then scoffed.

"I thought you said you were alright," he lightly jest. "If that's the best you can do, perhaps I should have-"

The sound of the second arrow piercing through the core of the apple and then lodging deep into the tree immediately cut off Peter's words.

The blonde let out a soft breath as he lowered the bow to his side. Peter just stood there for a moment longer, his mouth slightly parted from his lost words. He knew the other boy would be good. He didn't know he'd be two arrows good.

Actually, he didn't know he'd be one arrow good. That first shot was clearly fired in its intended direction.

Perhaps Peter wasn't the only one testing the waters of this new potential companionship. Perhaps he, himself, was being tested as well. Was he truly serious about his dares? And, if he was, this boy was proving that he would take him up on every one of them.

Peter's lips slowly rose into a sideways smile. Maybe this really was the work of fate.

He ducked slightly out from under the apple and stepped back over to the blonde, his smile widening.

"Say," he began again, stopping in front of the young man. "How would you like to come home with me?"

The blonde's head tilted ever so slightly as he stared into Peter's bright blue eyes.

"And where would that be?" He drawled with a tiny smirk.

"Why, Neverland, of course," Peter responded with a grin and a flourish of his hand.

The young man's smirk widened a bit in amusement as his gaze turned uncharacteristically soft for only a brief second before regaining its usual stoic composure.

"What?" Peter asked, his delighted gaze staying locked with the other boy's. "You don't have anywhere else to be, do you?"

"No," the blonde replied simply.

"Tell you what," Peter continued, placing a finger up to his lips as he thought. "You come to Neverland with me and I'll... I'll make you my second in command. What do you say?" He asked with a grin, holding his hand out towards the blonde.

The young man glanced down at the hand and then raised his eyes back to those mischievous blue orbs. Once again he found himself thinking how unfair it was for this boy to have those captivating eyes coupled with such a soft face and fair skin. Like telling him no was even an option.

The blonde watched him for a second longer before smiling a little himself and taking the boy's hand.

"Sure."

Peter could have sworn he felt a light shock go through his hand and up his arm but he quickly pushed the thought of what it might mean out of his mind as he smiled openly up at the young man.

"Wonderful! Then from this day forward, you shall be my new companion... Felix."


	3. Persistence

The young man stood outside of the little antique shop with his hands in his jacket's pockets. He pulled one hand out and glanced down at his watch. Letting out a quiet breath through his nose, he glanced over his shoulder through the shop window.

A boy, not much younger than himself, with brown tousled hair was leaning over the front counter casually chatting with the woman behind it. He suddenly laughed good-naturedly as the woman gave him an unamused scowl.

The young man turned his head back around to gaze out across the main street, a quiet sigh escaping his lips. He glanced back down at his watch one last time before stuffing his hand back in his pocket and turning to leave.

"Hi," a voice suddenly spoke from in front of the young man.

He tensed for a brief second in surprise and glanced down, quickly relaxing when he recognized the brown haired young boy that had appeared on his doorstep just the other day. The boy's smile was just as energetic as then and he wore that same pale green backpack.

The blonde didn't reply as he merely stood there with a slight frown of annoyance.

The boy suddenly frowned as well as he peered around the older male to look into the shop window.

"Are you waiting for someone?" He asked curiously.

"No," the blonde muttered simply, stepping past the boy and heading down the sidewalk.

The boy's eyes widened in surprise as he quickly ran to catch up to the older male's long strides.

"Oh! Well, where are you going?" He asked, smiling back up at the blonde as he tried to keep pace.

The older male considered ignoring the kid but he knew that would only bring about more incessant questioning.

"My house," he snipped quietly.

"Oh, cool! That's on the way back to my house! I'll just walk with you," the boy responded, quite pleased with this turn of events.

The young man suddenly stopped, letting out a quiet breath. He turned to the boy who had stopped as well with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Look, boy, I don't-"

"I'm sorry about what happened the other day," the young boy suddenly interrupted glancing away with a shrug. "I just thought that if you saw the book, maybe you'd remember who you are. That must have seemed kinda weird though." The boy gave him an embarrassed smile.

There was a long silence as the blonde just surveyed the kid.

"Oh, yeah," the boy suddenly spoke, holding his hand out to the other male. "My name's Henry!"

The young man merely stood there, unmoving. The kid's persistence coupled with his soft face and wide, hazel eyes was rather... adorable, for lack of a better word. The blonde figured he could at least humor the kid.

"James," he finally responded quietly, taking the boy's hand.

Henry smiled warmly up at the blonde before stuffing his hand back in his coat pocket. The boy rocked back on his heels a couple of times as an awkward silence fell upon them.

"So... Are you living with anyone?" He asked with another innocent smile.

James cocked an eyebrow ever so slightly. This kid really was persistent.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" He asked with a tiny amused smirk.

Henry frowned for a moment but then smiled innocently once more.

"Uh... No?" He offered.

An old, yellow car suddenly sped past on the main road but then screeched to a halt. It slowly began creeping back towards them. James watched the car out of the corner of his eyes and felt himself instinctually lean a little towards the boy protectively. His cold stare remained locked on the car as it stopped beside them until he suddenly noticed the blonde woman behind the wheel.

She gave Henry an unamused look as she shifted the car into park and pushed open the driver's side door.

"Emma!" Henry greeted in surprise, smiling and waving.

James immediately felt his shoulders relax but he frowned slightly, wondering why he would feel protective of a kid he had just met.

Emma heaved a sigh as she walked over to the two.

"Henry, what are you doing out here?" She asked, stopping beside him. "Mary-Margaret called your mom and said you didn't show up at school. Of course your mom called me worried sick."

Henry frowned.

"Sorry. I was just working on... uh..." He shot a glance over at James before whispering up to Emma, "Operation Fairy Dust."

Emma's brows furrowed in confusion as she glanced over at the young man.

"Why don't you go wait in the car," she finally said, patting Henry on the head.

Henry nodded and then waved to the young man before walking over to the car and climbing into the passenger's seat.

Emma looked back over at the blonde standing in front of her and cocked an eyebrow as she surveyed him. She didn't particularly like the idea of Henry hanging around an older teenage boy. Older teenagers were generally bad news and this kid looked like he was full of nothing but. The two crossed scars stretching across the side of his face certainly didn't help either.

'He's probably involved in a gang,' Emma thought to herself with a frown.

"What's your name?" She finally asked in her sheriff voice.

"James," the young man responded simply.

Emma narrowed her eyes a bit as she studied him. For some reason, that just didn't sound right.

"What are you doing hanging around my kid?" She pressed with suspicion.

A tiny smirk rose to James' lips as he looked Emma right in the eyes.

"Your kid came up to my doorstep the other day wanting to show me a book of his. And then he came up to me again today asking me questions."

Emma rolled her eyes and let out a sigh as she glanced through the passenger side window at Henry. She angled herself so that her back was slightly to the young boy as she lowered her voice.

"I'm so sorry," she began with an embarrassed smile. "I promise, he does that to everyone. He thinks this town is full of fairy tale characters from his book. I'm just kind of going along with it so he doesn't lose his... imagination or... something."

James suddenly caught a glimpse of a door opening over Emma's shoulder. He tilted his head ever so slightly to watch as the brown haired boy he had seen talking to that woman earlier stepped out of the antique shop. He shut the door behind him before stuffing his hands in his coat's pockets and heading off down the sidewalk away from the two.

Emma suddenly noticed the young man's gaze, glancing over her shoulder at the other boy. She turned back to James with a quizzical expression and motioned with her thumb.

"Is that a friend of yours?" She asked.

James looked back over at Emma once the boy had disappeared.

"No," he replied simply, his expression cold.

Emma watched the boy as he suddenly gave her a very tiny smirk.

"If that's all, Sheriff, I'll be taking my leave."

The young man turned away from the woman and took one step before suddenly stopping.

"Oh, one last thing," he drawled, his smirk widening slightly as he angled himself back towards Emma. "You should keep a closer eye on Henry. You never know what kind of... psychopaths live out here."

Emma's expression darkened as James turned back around and continued on, calling over his shoulder one last amused remark.

"See you around, Sheriff."


	4. Dream Child

"There it is," Peter murmured quietly, pointing to a small knife lying on an overturned basket.

Felix surveyed the clearing from where he crouched among the bushes next to Peter. There were several male natives standing among the small teepees talking. One smaller female stood near the knife nodding to a taller man.

"Couldn't you just materialize the knife over here?" Felix murmured in response.

"Now, Felix, where would the fun be in that?" Peter asked with a devilish smirk. "The men should leave soon on their hunting excursion. Once they're gone, I'll distract Tigerlily and you set the trap. She won't be expecting it since I always come here alone. Tinkerbell never wants to help me with these games."

"Tinkerbell?" Felix repeated with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"You'll meet her but first we need to get my knife back. Oh! They're leaving."

Felix looked back out at the clearing just as the last two men disappeared into the underbrush leaving the teenage girl alone.

"You know what to do," Peter whispered with a grin.

The two parted then, each creeping around the clearing in opposite directions. Once Peter was on the girl's right, he casually stood and stepped out of the bushes.

Tigerlily immediately turned her head, her eyes narrowing in suspicion at the slow, casual way Peter walked over to her, hands clasped behind his back as if enjoying a nice stroll.

"Hello, Tigerlily," the boy greeted conversationally, stopping beside her.

Tigerlily eyed him for a moment.

"What are you doing?" She finally asked, her accent thick as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest in front of where the knife lay.

"Whatever do you mean?" Peter asked innocently. "I'm just out for a little stroll through the forest."

"You're happy," Tigerlily accused, her dark eyes still filled with suspicion. "You're never happy."

"What are you talking about? I'm always happy to see you," Peter responded with mock hurt in his eyes. "I consider you one of my dearest friends, Tigerlily."

"You're not getting the knife back," the girl responded firmly. "It belongs to my father. If being nice is some new strategy you're using, it's not going to work."

A sudden twig snap on the girl's right made her frown but she kept her eyes locked on Peter.

"What, is Tinkerbell back there? Is she going to jump out at me?" Tigerlily asked never taking her eyes off the boy. "No. She's too mature for that. Is some dream child helping you now?"

Peter remained silent, a simple smirk plastered to his lips.

Tigerlily watched him for another moment before snatching up the knife and then turning to follow where the sound had come from. Peter couldn't keep himself from grinning as the girl stepped through the bushes and suddenly shrieked. She was instantly snapped into the air by a long rope that had latched around her ankle, hanging upside-down ten feet off the ground. She quickly tugged on her skirt to keep it from falling over her stomach, her eyes wide with surprise.

Peter laughed and stooped down to pick up the knife the girl had dropped as Felix stepped out from around a nearby tree to stand beside him.

"I knew it," Tigerlily declared once her shock had worn off and her eyes fell upon the second male. "There was a dream child helping you."

"Felix is no dream," Peter scoffed in amusement, flipping the knife around in his hand. "And he's certainly no child. He's my new companion."

Even upside-down, Tigerlily didn't miss the soft look that passed between the two boys. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously again as her face began to turn red from all the blood rushing to her head.

"Cut me down," the girl demanded.

Peter squinted a bit as if in thought before shaking his head.

"Actually, I think I quite like you better up there. Come, Felix."

The boys turned and headed back into the forest in the direction they had come, the girl's angry shriek ringing out over the tops of the trees.

"Won't she come after us?" Felix asked once they had walked a good distance away from the native's camp.

"Oh, most certainly," Peter responded unconcerned. "She'll cut herself down in about fifteen minutes and come looking for us. She won't have much luck though."

"That knife is her father's?" Felix questioned, not sure why Peter would even want such a thing.

"WAS her father's," the shorter boy corrected with a mischievous smirk as he angled the handle towards the blonde. "And now it's yours."

Felix actually felt his eyes widen a bit in surprise as he took the gift. He hadn't expected something like that.

"If you're going to be staying here, you need a way to defend yourself after all," Peter continued. "Besides, you were very good today. That snapping twig was right on schedule. You deserve some type of reward for your work."

Felix could think of a couple other things that would have made a nicer reward but the knife was appreciated.

When the two boys stepped into the small clearing deep in the heart of the forest, a woman with blonde hair pulled up into a bun and wearing a dark green dress was just emerging from the other side carrying a small bundle of sticks. The woman's eyes widened a bit at the sight of the two but then narrowed suspiciously.

"Who is this?" She asked, placing the logs down next to the fire.

"Tinkerbell, this is Felix," Peter introduced, motioning to the taller male.

Tinkerbell eyed him for a moment, noticing how Peter had already decked him out in clothing from the island.

"How long is he staying?" She finally continued, still wary.

"As long as he wishes," Peter responded, exchanging a tiny smirk with the boy in question.

Tinkerbell surveyed the two before smirking a little herself in amusement.

"In other words, however long it takes for him to realize what an awful person you are. Two days?"

Peter gave the woman a mockingly pleasant smile when a long, sharp shriek suddenly rang through the forest.

"That sounded like Tigerlily's battle cry," Tinkerbell commented, her brows furrowing a little. She looked back over at the two boys and gave them an unamused expression. "What did you do?"

Peter scoffed.

"Why is it always something I did? You know how females are. She's probably just moody."

Another long shriek flowed through the camp, much closer than the first.

"Although we probably should move a little more that way," Peter remarked, pointing off to the side. "Tink, grab one of the torches. Felix, go get those logs. We can come back for the other things later."

Tinkerbell rolled her eyes and retrieved a makeshift torch from the other side of the clearing, walking over to the fire to set it ablaze.

"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into," she spoke quietly to Felix as he lifted the bundle of logs.

He merely smirked in amusement and responded simply, "I think I can manage."


	5. Encounter

"Who is that kid?" Emma asked as she slid into the driver's seat of the old yellow Volkswagen and slammed the door shut.

Henry glanced up at her briefly before following her gaze to the teenage boy disappearing down the sidewalk.

"That's Felix," he responded with a smile.

Emma's brows furrowed as she looked over at the kid.

"He said his name was James."

"That's his cursed name," the young boy answered. "His real name is Felix."

"Oh, right. The book," Emma began with a slight sigh and a smile but then frowned. "Wait, he's in there too?"

Henry nodded.

"Yeah! He's with Peter Pan. They're true loves."

Emma just stared at the boy for a moment before looking back out the front windshield.

"I don't remember that in the movie," she finally remarked.

"They don't remember each other either," Henry continued with a frown. "That's why I wanted to talk to him. I thought that maybe if he saw the book, he'd remember who he was and how happy they were together... but it didn't really work out."

Emma looked back over at the boy, noticing his suddenly crestfallen appearance. She gave him a sympathetic, sideways smile and patted him on the head.

"Look, Henry, I know you just want to help everyone but... I don't think you should be hanging around an older teenage boy." 

Especially one that looks like he could be in a gang, she added to herself with a slight wince.

Henry's brows furrowed quizzically as he looked back up at the woman.

"Why not?"

Emma hesitated, not quite sure how to put her concerns.

"They're just... bad influences," she finally settled on with a sigh.

"Felix and Peter Pan aren't bad. They just..." Henry looked away for a moment as he thought before turning back to Emma with a smile. "... like to have fun."

Emma remembered the warning James had given her about keeping a closer eye on Henry. It HAD seemed like he was just pulling her leg to scare her into keeping Henry from bothering him anymore. Emma narrowed her eyes at the thought that she had actually been played by a teenager.

Just then, the shop door right across the sidewalk suddenly opened as a brunette teenage boy stepped out with a delighted smirk plastered to his face. He waved to the blonde woman in a green dress inside the building who merely rolled her eyes but then gave him an amused smile in return. The boy pulled the collar of his dark green coat up around his neck before heading in the opposite direction down the sidewalk.

The two merely watched when Henry suddenly turned back to Emma with an eager grin.

"That's Peter Pan!"

Emma cocked an eyebrow in disbelief as she glanced back over her shoulder at the teenager.

"That's Peter Pan?" She repeated doubtfully.

"Yeah! That must have been who Felix was waiting for!" The boy continued excitedly but then frowned. "Wait, why would Felix be waiting for him? They don't remember each other."

"Maybe they've met here," Emma suggested with a shrug, not really seeing what the big fuss was about. It wasn't exactly unusual for a couple of teenagers to be friends.

"Maybe..." Henry mused, his brows furrowing.

"Well, either way, you still have school," Emma finally remarked with a scolding look at the boy as she buckled her seatbelt.  "No more running off."

Henry smiled innocently up at her.

"Sure."

Emma raised an eyebrow at him in amusement.

"And no more lying either."

The yellow car slowly took off down the road, disappearing from sight.

The brunette teenage boy walked along with his hands stuffed in his coat pockets before casting one quick glance over his shoulder and then suddenly darting down a small alleyway. He ran down the lane and then turned left, quickly racing past the backs of the shops lining the road. He glanced down each alley that he passed by, feeling increasingly impatient.

As the lane played out and he ran out onto another small road, his eyes suddenly caught sight of the blonde young man only a few yards down the sidewalk. The boy quickly spun around and pressed his back against the building as he waited.

He couldn't resist the wide devilish grin that spread across his face as James casually passed by the alley, unaware. The brunette silently stepped out from around the building's edge and casually leaned back against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

"Hello," he greeted, a mischievous smirk lighting his face as he watched the other male's reaction.

James instantly froze, his body going rigid as the soft, playful voice wafted over the cold air. He knew not to turn around. He knew if he looked at the boy's flawless features it would be all over.

But that voice.

That voice could make him do anything.

James slowly turned, his eyes immediately catching that bright blue gaze. He felt his breath hitch in the back of his throat.

"You know," the brunette began, pushing himself off of the building and casually stepping over to the taller male. "It's very rude to stalk someone and never say hello."

James forced his expression to remain neutral but the brunette could tell there was a war raging behind those silver eyes.

"You didn't think I noticed you watching me for the last several months?" The boy scoffed. "Please, I'm not dense."

A quiet breath suddenly escaped James' slightly parted mouth as his eyes trailed down to the boy's tinged red lips before tracing back up to those blue orbs.

"Well?" The boy suddenly asked, an eyebrow rising on his forehead.

James just stared at him blankly.

"You were waiting for me outside that shop for over an hour. You must have had something pressing on your mind," the boy explained.

For only a brief moment, James felt a rush of panic shoot through him but he merely gave the boy a tiny smirk and shrugged a shoulder.

"I forget," he remarked simply.

The shorter boy tilted his head and raised an eyebrow again, clearly unconvinced.

"Well, isn't that convenient," he replied with a hint of amusement. He was rather enjoying this game. "My name is Peter," he continued, holding his hand out towards the other male. "And you are?"

James' expression slowly turned cold as he stared at the outstretched hand and then looked back into the boy's light, mischievous eyes.

"None of your business," he muttered darkly before turning around and continuing on down the sidewalk.

Peter merely stood there, his arm lowering to his side as he watched the other male disappear. He smirked a little to himself as his fingers clenched into a fist at his side.

This was going to be more fun than he had ever expected.


	6. One Arrow, One Shot

Tinkerbell stepped into the clearing with an arm full of logs she was struggling to keep aloft.

"Peter, Felix, help me," she demanded as she tried to keep one from going over.

She glanced up then when she didn't hear anything and noticed the clearing was empty. She frowned in annoyance and dropped the logs on the ground at her feet.

"Of course," she grumbled, walking over to the hollowed out room beneath the massive oak tree on the edge of the clearing.  "They're always running off and leaving me with the chores."

Tinkerbell pushed open the makeshift, wooden door and looked around, not seeing any sign of the boys in question.  Somebody was definitely here though.

She rolled her eyes then and huffed out a sigh.

"It's not here, Tigerlily," she remarked simply.

The native girl stepped out from behind the door, her dark eyes narrowed.

"Where is it?" She demanded of the blonde woman.

"Felix has it."

"And where is he?"

"With Peter somewhere. I don't know," Tinkerbell replied with a shrug as she slumped down onto a rock chair in the room.

Tigerlily wrinkled her nose briefly and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't like them together. Pan was bad enough by himself. Now with Felix here, he's a hundred times worse. It's been four moons. My father already has a new knife. I just want this one back for principle."

Tinkerbell shook her head and flicked a piece of gravel off her dress.

"You know, I don't like them together either but it can't be helped."

Tigerlily was silent for a long moment when a tiny smirk suddenly rose to her lips.

"Maybe it can."

Tinkerbell cocked an eyebrow at the girl curiously.

"What if Felix just... disappeared? Or better yet! What if Pan disappeared? He is the source of all of our troubles."

The blonde woman furrowed her brows as she surveyed Tigerlily before clicking her tongue and waving her hand through the air dismissively.

"You don't mean that."

"Oh, no?" Tigerlily asked with a smile. "Would it really be that unheard of if one of those mermaids grabbed Pan and dragged him to the bottom of the sea? Or if Captain Hook decided one day to take him prisoner aboard his ship?"

"The mermaids know to stay away from Peter, as does the captain," Tinkerbell responded. "I think you forget how powerful he is here."

Tigerlily frowned at that.

"Just accept it," Tinkerbell continued with a sigh, pushing herself up onto her feet and walking over to the girl. "We're stuck with them forever."

Tigerlily didn't respond as the two headed back out into the clearing.

Just then, Peter emerged from the bushes where Tinkerbell had appeared earlier, Felix following right behind him. Peter frowned when he noticed the logs lying in a heap on the ground.

"Tink, I told you to put these up," he stated.

Tinkerbell glared at the boy but managed to fight back the urge to snap.

"Where's my knife?" Tigerlily demanded of the two boys.

Peter rolled his eyes.

"Are you still going on about that? I got tired of that game a month ago. Your father has a new knife. Let it go."

"I will not," Tigerlily replied firmly, her eyes narrowed.

Peter shook his head a bit in disappointment and looked over at Felix.

"Females. Always so stubborn," he remarked to the taller boy. "Tell you what," he spoke louder, turning back to the girls. "I'm in a rather good mood today, so why don't we play a little game for it."

"No. No games," Tigerlily snapped, shaking her head. "I want the knife."

"Oh, you'll get it," Peter said with a mischievous smirk. "IF you can beat Felix in a game of archery. One arrow, one shot, winner gets the knife for good and this whole thing is done with."

Tigerlily studied the boy for a long moment.

"Fine," she agreed.

A devilish grin immediately rose to Peter's face.

"Excellent. Follow me."

Tinkerbell's eyes widened a bit as she glanced over at the other girl.

"Tigerlily, are you sure that's such a good idea?" She asked warily.

"I can beat a boy in archery," the girl stated, following Peter and Felix out of the clearing.

"Not when that boy belongs to Peter," Tinkerbell murmured under her breath as she, too, headed out.

It was several minutes later when the group finally made it to a lone target board nailed up onto the trunk of a tree deep in the forest.

Peter picked up the bow and one of the two arrows lying against the tree, angling them towards Tigerlily.

"We may not be the most well-behaved boys but we do have manners. Ladies first," he smirked with a slight dip of his head.

Tigerlily frowned, unconvinced by the act of chivalry, but took the bow and arrow. She walked over to the designated spot several yards out and sucked in a deep breath. There was no way she was going to lose to a couple of boys.

She took her stance and held the bow and arrow up in front of her at arms length, pulling the string back as she eyed the target. She let out a silent breath and then released the arrow.

The arrow soared through the air, aiming right for the middle of the target when a white flash suddenly passed in front of it. It all happened so quickly that Tigerlily wasn't sure she had actually seen anything.

The three walked over to the target as Tigerlily made her way back.

"I don't even see the arrow," Peter remarked with furrowed brows as he surveyed the area.

"Maybe it went past the target," Felix suggested, glancing into the forest beyond.

"Tigerlily's a fairly good shot," Peter responded, looking down at the ground. "She wouldn't miss that badly."

Tigerlily was almost to the target when her eyes fell upon a white object lying among the bushes. She actually gasped at the sight of the dead rabbit with her arrow pierced right through its side.

Peter glanced up then, noticing the girl had stopped.

"Tigerlily must have found something," he said, as the three walked over to her.

The group merely stared at the rabbit for a long moment when Peter finally broke the silence.

"Well, that's a rather unfortunate occurrence," he remarked with a sympathetic expression. "Looks like a rabbit jumped in front of your arrow."

Tigerlily's eyes narrowed with suspicion as she surveyed the boy.

"Six feet up in the air?" She questioned.

Peter shrugged.

"Animals on the island can be rather unpredictable. Your turn, Felix," the boy continued, smiling up at the blonde.

Felix headed back to the target tree to retrieve the second arrow.

"I deserve another shot," Tigerlily declared firmly. "That one shouldn't even count."

Peter frowned at the girl and held a finger up.

"One arrow, one shot. Those are the rules. But, hey. Maybe you'll get lucky and a rabbit will jump in front of Felix's arrow as well."

Tigerlily's eyes narrowed at the amused smirk that crossed Peter's lips. Felix made his way over to the spot Tigerlily had been standing and pulled the bow string back. He held it there for only a brief second before firing the arrow through the air. It penetrated the target dead center.

Tigerlily rolled her eyes. Of course.

"Felix wins!" Peter declared, turning a delighted grin onto the girl. "At least you got something out of this as well. You can take that rabbit back to your village and have a nice little meal. Think of it as a consolation prize for trying so hard."

Tigerlily watched with annoyance as Peter practically skipped through the bushes over to Felix and pushed his nose up against his in a rare public display of happiness. Felix actually chuckled a bit in amusement at the action.

Tigerlily turned her gaze onto Tinkerbell who merely shrugged.

"I tried to tell you. Nobody can beat Peter."


	7. Repayment

James stepped inside the old, wooden, house and shut the door, shedding his coat and placing it onto the nearby hook. He rubbed a hand over his face and let out a soft breath.

He knew he should have been nicer to the boy, especially since he had been sorta stalking him for the last few months. But he just wasn't ready to play any games with him.

A sudden thump from the kitchen to the right made the blonde look up. He watched the doorway for a long moment, unmoving, as he held his breath. After a minute of silence, he quietly stepped up to the edge of the doorway and peered around it.

The brunette boy from earlier suddenly appeared from around the wall causing James to tense in surprise. Peter leaned against the doorframe casually with his arms crossed over his chest and surveyed the blonde with a pleasant smirk.

"You left," he remarked conversationally.

James' lips formed a hard line as he merely watched the other boy.

"Let me get this straight," Peter continued, his brows furrowing as if in thought. "You stalk me for, what was it? Seven, eight months? And then when I actually approach you, you run off like a dog with its tail between its legs. Don't even give me your name. That's not very good form."

"What do you want?" James asked, his voice cold.

Peter grinned as he pushed himself off the doorframe and casually stepped into the main room.

"I want..." He suddenly trailed off, his brows furrowing again as he looked about. "My god. What, did you pick the most drab house in town to live in? It's just grey walls. You don't even have any furniture. Look, even the floor is grey. You know, there's this new invention called color. You should really look into it. God, it's just so dull." He looked back over at James with a smirk. "It suits you."

James actually had to bite his lip to keep from smiling, just barely managing to retain his cold demeanor.

"What do you want?" He repeated.

"Repayment," Peter responded simply, raising an eyebrow at the taller boy. "You owe me quite a bit for stalking me for so long. A glass of ice water would be a good start."

James studied Peter for a long moment but the shorter boy's clear blue eyes gave away nothing as to what was going on inside of his head. The blonde finally relented with a quiet sigh and walked over to the kitchen.

"And not a glass-glass but a plastic glass. I don't like glass," Peter added as James walked past him.

James wasn't sure if the boy actually didn't like glass or if he was just being difficult. Probably the latter.

He retrieved the plastic glass, filling it halfway with ice and then to the top with cold water before handing it to Peter back in the main room.

The brunette took the cup, taking a sip from it as he continued to survey the space.

"You know what would be a good color in here?" He suddenly asked. "Blue. Not a gross, disgusting, bright blue but more of a soft, pale, muted blue. Something that would be in an island home."

James glanced around the room, his brows slightly furrowing. He wasn't much for interior design. The house suited his needs and that was fine.

"You also need some furniture," Peter continued, his nose crinkling slightly at the barren space. "A couch would be good, you know. Maybe a little table over there with a lamp. A clock. Something that made it not feel so dull."

Peter's eyebrows suddenly furrowed as he handed the glass back to James.

"What was I doing here again?" He asked. "Oh, right. Your name. That's something else you owe me."

James didn't resist the tiny smirk of amusement that graced his lips this time.

"It's James," he responded simply.

Peter's nose wrinkled again as he cocked an eyebrow.

"James?" He repeated doubtfully, surveying the other boy. "You don't look like a James..."

The blonde froze, his shoulders suddenly going rigid as he waited for the next words.

"... It is a rather boring name though, so I suppose it suits you in that regard."

James immediately relaxed at the other boy's teasing smirk and let out a silent breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. Peter watched him for a moment, his brows slightly furrowing quizzically.

"What was that?" He asked with a laugh.

James tensed ever so slightly again.

"What was what?"

"Time sorta stopped back there for a moment," Peter responded still surveying him. "Did I offend you?"

James quickly shook his head.

"No, it's just..." He trailed off as he studied the brunette's gaze. "... I've been told that before."

Peter smirked.

"Then perhaps you should consider legally changing your name."

Once again, James felt himself relax at the innocent response. Peter watched him for a second longer before glancing back around the room.

"Seriously though. Paint and some furniture. Look into it."

A tiny smirk rose to James' lips once more as Peter casually stepped around him towards the front door. He suddenly stopped and turned back to the blonde with a finger on his lips.

"Oh, wait. There was one other thing..." He furrowed his brows, as if trying to recall something, and tapped his lips a few times. James found himself strangely fixated on the action.

"Oh! That's right," Peter suddenly remarked, angling his finger at the blonde. "You owe me dinner."

James' eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise as Peter grinned.

"Meet me at that little cafe downtown tomorrow evening at seven. What's it called again? Granny's? I'm sure you know the place."

Peter's gaze suddenly turned serious as his voice took on a threatening tone.

"And you better show up. Otherwise I'll have to hunt you down and I am a much better stalker than you ever were."

He paused then, looking the blonde up and down.

"And wear something not quite so eugh. You're going to be seen with me, after all."

James glanced down at his clothing with slightly furrowed brows in confusion.

"It's a date," Peter declared with a grin before turning and shutting the front door behind him.


	8. Date Night

It was six-thirty in the evening when James stepped into the little diner on Main Street. The bell on the door tinkered as the warm, soothing air hit his chilled skin. He knew he was much too early for their seven o'clock meeting but he just couldn't seem to relax at his house and figured being around the other people at the cafe would ease his mind.

He glanced about the room for a brief moment, taking in the sight of all the well-dressed couples, when his eyes suddenly locked onto a spot at the back of the cafe and he felt himself tense.

Peter was seated casually at a quiet table with his elbow propped up on the surface, studying the menu lying in front of him.  He hadn't looked up, so James figured the boy didn't know he was there yet.

James immediately turned towards the door and stepped back out onto the sidewalk. He sucked in a sharp breath and leaned back against the building as the door shut, causing the bell to tinker softly once more.

He didn't know why he was feeling so panicked all of a sudden. It was just dinner.

... But maybe that was the problem. It was too serene of a setting, too normal. It just didn't feel right.

James glanced back through the glass door at the brunette boy who was still surveying the menu. He seemed unaware but James couldn't be completely sure if he knew the blonde was there or not.

James seriously considered just leaving the diner. Even if Peter was a good stalker, James could escape from Storybrooke. Go back, pretend none of this ever happened and just let things be.

He turned his head to look back out at the dark, empty street and released a quiet breath through his lips.

No, he couldn't do that. It was too late for that. If he was going to leave, he should have done it long ago before ever giving Peter the chance to meet him.

James remained where he was for another moment and then pushed himself off of the building and turned back to the front door. He sucked in a deep breath before pulling open the door and heading for the back of the diner.

Peter glanced up at the sound of approaching footsteps and then leaned back against the cushioned bench with a smirk.

"I figured you'd be early," he remarked as James shed his coat and took his seat across from the boy.

Peter eyed his tight fitting, black sweater openly, quite pleased.

"Now, that looks much better than those rags you were wearing yesterday. It's not color but at least you look nice."

James didn't respond as he looked over at Peter's pale-green, long-sleeved shirt. The fabric was so thin that it was almost see-through.

Almost...

He had the sleeves pushed up to his elbows and the two white buttons at the top of the shirt were left undone. James couldn't help but think that perhaps Peter had purposely worn the shirt just for him. The blonde had never seen him wear any type of revealing fabric before.

"You know, it's not polite to stare," Peter's voice suddenly broke in with amusement.

James' eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise as he pulled his gaze back up to Peter's face.

Peter actually grinned, his chin resting in his hand with his elbow propped back up on the table just staring at the other boy.

"Well, don't you two look cute," a woman's voice suddenly spoke cheerfully from beside the table.

The two boys looked over to see a dark haired woman in blue jeans and a red buttoned up top standing beside them with a clipboard in her hands.

"I was wondering what kind of person you were waiting for," she spoke to Peter with a warm smile. "I gotta say, I'm a little surprised but not disappointed. You two make a cute couple."

"And what makes you think we're a couple?" Peter asked casually with a raised eyebrow.

The woman looked around at the rest of the cafe filled with pairs and laughed.

"Nobody comes in here in the evenings with somebody else and it not be a date. No worries though, guys! It's all cool here. Now, what can I get you two to drink?"

"I'll just have a water," Peter responded, looking over at James.

"Water's fine," the blonde stated.

The woman nodded her head.

"I'll have them right out. Oh! By the way, my name is Ruby."

With that, she flashed them another smile and then turned and headed for the kitchen doors.

Peter suddenly snickered in amusement.

"Can you believe that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Us, a couple. You're cute but you have a lot to work on before I would even consider that."

A tiny smirk rose to James' lips as he watched the other boy look back down at the menu. This wasn't quite as bad as the blonde had initially thought it would be.

"I think I'll get the salmon," Peter finally remarked, using one finger to rotate the menu around to face James. "It's a little pricy but I'm guessing you're good for it."

James actually smiled a little as he began surveying the menu. He was good for it.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened to your face or do I have to be rude and ask?" Peter suddenly broke in after a brief moment of silence.

James looked back up at the boy, an eyebrow slightly raised.

"Those two cuts on your face," Peter continued, taping his right cheek just under his eye. "How did you get them?"

James studied the brunette momentarily but his blue eyes were filled with nothing but honest curiosity.

"I got them in a fight," James finally responded simply.

"Well, I certainly hope you left the other guy worse off than you," Peter remarked with a mischievous grin.

James looked down at the menu again, his eyes growing distant, before glancing back up at the boy with a tiny, forced smile.

"I did."

Peter tilted his head slightly in curiosity but decided not to press the subject.

"Here you are," Ruby's voice suddenly spoke from beside the table.

She placed their glasses down and then took their orders, bringing the food out minutes later.

The boys ate and chatted. Peter doing most of the chatting but James happy to just listen. Once they had finished and James had paid for the meal, they headed to the front of the diner. James held the door open as Peter walked out into the cold, night air.

"It feels like it's gotten so much colder," Peter remarked, zipping his coat up all the way to his neck and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

James nodded, noticing the thick fog that emitted from his lips when he breathed out.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around," Peter continued with a pleasant smirk as he turned to leave.

James suddenly felt a sharp pain go through him.

"I can walk you home," he quickly stated.

Peter cocked an eyebrow quizzically as he turned back to the blonde.

"Walk me home?" He scoffed. "What, am I some girl that needs to be protected from the monsters that lurk in the shadows?"

James' eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise. He hadn't meant it like that.

Peter chuckled at the taller boy's expression.

"I live just right over there," he responded, motioning to a small shop right down the street.

James followed Peter's gaze and then froze, feeling his breath catch in the back of his throat and his shoulders go rigid.

"Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop," Peter continued with a teasing smirk. "Who knows? Maybe you'll get to meet a real monster when you come visit me there tomorrow."

With that, Peter turned back around and disappeared down the sidewalk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This actually wasn't supposed to happen until Chapter 9. Chapter 8 was originally going to be Peter teaching Felix how to waltz back on Neverland but I couldn't figure out what the point of it was other than to be cute. (translation: I was too embarrassed to write it) 
> 
> So! You get James and Peter's date instead! I may go ahead and put the dance scene in the next chapter just as a nod to Belle and Rumple's little beauty and the beast thing but I don't know yet. I feel like there are more important things that need to be happening since we're getting pretty far into Storybrooke. … We'll see!


End file.
